The Loyal Parrot

The Loyal Parrot –

Children, this is a story from very old times. There was once a king whose kingdom was vast and prosperous. His queen’s name was Chanda. She was very beautiful and wise, and the king loved her dearly. On one of her birthdays, the king gifted her a very precious necklace. A few days after the celebration, the necklace was stolen, which caused great sorrow to both the king and the queen.

The king announced in his court that whoever found and returned the necklace would be rewarded generously. As soon as people heard this, they became determined to catch the thieves and began searching for them in groups.

At some distance from the palace, there was a village where an old man and an old woman lived with their son. The parents were very weak and could not work. Their son supported them by cutting wood from a nearby forest and selling it.

One day, while the boy was cutting wood, he heard voices coming from a short distance away. They belonged to the same thieves who had stolen the queen’s necklace. The boy hid and listened to their conversation. One thief said, “We should bury the necklace here and go for another robbery.”

Another replied, “No, we should keep the necklace with us. If someone finds out, they will take it.”

A third thief said, “No, let us bury it under this tree. No one can take it from here.”

The first two agreed with him. All three dug a hole under the tree to bury the necklace. While doing so, one of them said, “Make sure no one is watching.” The other looked around and said, “There is no one.” However, a parrot was sitting nearby and watching everything.

One thief tried to kill the parrot by shooting an arrow at it, but the arrow struck its wings instead of its body, causing some feathers to fall. The parrot flew away and fell near the boy who had been listening. The boy took the injured parrot home to treat its wounds.

Meanwhile, the thieves went on to commit more robberies and later buried all the stolen goods in the same pit.

After a few days, the parrot recovered and grew new feathers. It became attached to the boy. One day, a royal messenger came to the village announcing loudly, “Brothers! You all know that our queen’s necklace has been stolen. The king has declared that whoever finds it will be rewarded.”

Hearing this, the boy rushed home and told his parents. Upon hearing the conversation, the parrot said, “My master, I know the place where the necklace is buried.”

The next evening, the boy and the parrot went to that spot with a shovel. The boy started digging, and after some time, they found a large pot. When they took it out, they saw many jewels and precious stones inside, along with the queen’s necklace.

Early the next morning, the boy and the parrot set off for the king’s palace. At first, the guards stopped them, but when the boy mentioned the necklace, they allowed him to enter.

The king asked the reason for their visit. The boy replied, “Your Majesty, please call the queen. We have brought a gift for her.” When the queen arrived, the boy presented her lost necklace. Upon seeing it, the queen was overjoyed. She praised the boy and rewarded him generously.

After giving the reward, the king asked how he had discovered the necklace. The boy narrated the entire story of the parrot. The queen then rewarded the parrot as well by giving it a golden necklace, which the boy placed around the parrot’s neck.

The boy became wealthy. When his parents learned about the reward, they were filled with happiness, knowing that their days of poverty were finally over.

Children, honesty and hard work always bring reward. If you follow these values, you will surely enjoy the fruits of your efforts.